livendive

The dollar thing certainly wasn't a generalization...accurate or not it was a quite specific. As for the latter part, note that he said "most people", not "most US citizens". Given that, I'd probably agree with him. The international community was not and is not substantially supportive of our invasion of Iraq. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

We don't have the grey skies in the Tri-Cities. It's mostly sunny...but we don't have all the greens that you have over on that side of the mountains, or as many options for dining/entertainment, so it's a trade-off. I do really love living in this state thought. From Seattle you can reach the ocean, mountains, rainforest, or desert fairly quickly...3 hours max, depending on which which direction you head. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

What she said. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I've never seen anyone drawing on the 700 Club, but otherwise.... Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Such thinking is step 1 in warfare. First you must dehumanize the enemy. We don't want to go over there and kill other people. It's much easier to accept/do if we're just killing Japs, Krauts, Gooks, and Ragheads. Or infidels Absolutely. Infidels, capitalist pigs, commies, etc...it's all the same. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Such thinking is step 1 in warfare. First you must dehumanize the enemy. We don't want to go over there and kill other people. It's much easier to accept/do if we're just killing Japs, Krauts, Gooks, and Ragheads. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Where's the option for "bigotry disguised as an appeal to religious voters who want to tell everyone else how to live"? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Based on the "jacket length" picture, you have the longest arms I've ever seen. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

My daughter paid for her first car and second car, both of pretty poor quality because that's all she could afford. Also, she's got to give me her current car in exchange for this one, and she only gets physical possession of it for now. The only way she can get the title is to trade me a copy of her bachelor degree for it. This way I get some piece of mind while she's in college, knowing she's driving a reliable car, and it gets her "invested" in her own education, both financially and "emotionally." Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I used to do AFF in a frap hat, and a couple years ago I was on main side with a fairly large guy...230 lbs and reasonably muscular. It wasn't going terribly, but it was sketchy enough to hang on, and the fall rate was brisk. Reserve side was struggling to stay down, which wasn't much of a surprise, but I was quite surprised to suddenly see him in a sit, docked with his right hand on the student's left wrist. Well, in his sit he sank out, but he didn't let go before rolling the student on his back under me. I picked up the arm grip and started to shake the guy out like a sheet, but a fair amount of my attention was on the reserve side guy, who was now on his belly 10-15 feet below us, dearched, and coming up blind and *fast*. As I was trying to slide myself and the student back, out of the collision path, I got the student on his belly and he decided he'd had enough and wanted a parachute (6000 feet). I saw stars as the student's elbow caught me *very hard* on the chin, and a second later I found myself staring at his PC out in front of us and his bridle wrapped under my right arm. I dropped that grip, held through opening, then shook my head and tried to clear the fog as I tracked off. I no longer jump a frap hat on AFF, opting instead for a Rat-Hat (picture attached). It provides some chin protection, and the student can still see my smile. Next on my list is an AAD. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

What she said. I've had my GF Aquila for 8 or 9 years and still dig it. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I get zero flack for refusing students at any of the dz's I work at. Last Saturday I had a somewhat overweight elderly student (90th birthday) who I wasn't initially sure about, despite having a note from her doctor. I watched her for a bit, talked to her, had her demonstrate mobility, and then took her up and we had a blast. But before I decided, the DZO and the student both made it clear that they would respect my call either way. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Back when I was flying 500's, I'd have my students help me turn & flare, and I also unclipped the laterals. Then one day I was setting up and found my student keeping a toggle buried. I yelled "let it up, let it up" as we spiraled through ~100 feet. He said "I can't!" and I looked and saw the clip through a hole in the cuff of his jumpsuit, with his hand bent in such a way that he couldn't let go of the toggle either. I dropped my toggles, punched the offending point hard enough to rip through the cuff and release his hand, grabbed brake lines, and flared to a halfway decent landing on concrete. It came extremely close to resulting in two *very* injured jumpers. I no longer let my students touch the toggles below 1000' except on "progression" tandems, and on most jumps I simply slack the laterals through the friction adaptors rather than releasing them. Occasionally on heavies I can't slack them that way and do have to release the laterals, but upon release I slack them up and then reattach them. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

See the slide over to the right from Drive? It's kinda like a tiptronic transmission, with + and - for manual mode. In any case, the car is for my daughter and she has no interest in driving a stick. If I was buying myself a car, I'd get a BMW with tiptronic paddle shift on the wheel. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

My daughter's car got broken into a little while back and her stereo was stolen. She's pretty sure she's getting a new stereo for her graduation this weekend, but she doesn't know what it's coming wrapped in. I think I'm a pretty cool dad sometimes. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Where?! Where?! Hey, at least we can rest easy knowing people will probably have to put up with the same stupid BS next century, and the one after that, and the one after that, and.... Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Me three. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

That was not the shuffling of feet I heard coming from your tent at Byron a 3:00am Just cuz homer posted about LP last year doesn't mean you had to post about Byron. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

1200 thread count sheets, good quality pillow-top mattress with a novaform pad on top of it, down pillows, microsuede comforter. I may be somewhat of an insomniac, but I'm damned comfortable in bed even when I'm not asleep. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Yesterday morning I had to participate in the toughest conversation I've ever been a part of. Luckily we were unanimous (5-0) in our decision to stop her pain. At noon we extubated her and removed all needles, save one to deliver morphine. She had only been intubated for about 20 hours, so her vocal cords weren't too stretched and she was able to speak. Despite ICU rules of 2 visitors at a time, we packed 10+ in there, and almost every family member within driving distance got to see her. We brought a stereo into the room and had Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller cranking while the kids started confessing the childhood sins they'd gotten away with. We told lots of stories yesterday, and the laughter in the room drowned out the crying. We gradually increased the morphine to keep her comfortable, and the crowd dwindled down to myself and three of her children. As it became apparent that the time was rapidly approaching, we crowded around and held her, and took turns at her good ear, thanking her for the love, happiness, and life that she gave us. I was the last in line, and stroked her hair as I spoke. Seconds after I finished saying what I needed to, she let go, in our arms. Like most, if not all of us, I loved my Grandma an awful lot. She was a classy lady and a seriously cool chick. She had a good life, and about as good a death as possible...painless and surrounded by love. Thanks Gia, and everyone else, for your thoughts. They were much appreciated. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

...and then get "steamrollered" by a big ox. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I got the phone call we never want to get about you yesterday Shannon. I haven't processed that yet, and with my eyes still wet and this fucking cue-ball in my throat, I just got a phone call rallying the family around my grandma. I'm gonna screw work and try to get there before she passes. Remember Shannon, she's my grandma...she doesn't need to know anything truthful about me, so don't you be telling stories. Ow-fucking-oww. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I can't remember which I tore, MCL or ACL, but arthroscopic surgery was a breeze, relatively speaking. Rehab was short & sweet...a few times a week for a few weeks. Granted I was like 23 years old at the time, not your age, but for a reasonably fit guy who organizes heavy metal loads, I wouldn't worry too much. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Personally, I'd have hit brakes, though if Wendy advised otherwise you should definitely listen to her! Front riser = down & faster forward Rear riser = up & similar forward Brakes = up & reverse As long as they're not visible behind your tail, I'd think the "reverse" action of brakes ought to bring them back into view rather than putting you up and into them. Then again, I'm a total CRW novice. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I want do-overs on this one, dammit! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)